1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of small appliances and, more particularly, to a blender container or jar which internally and externally varies in shape to improve blending performance, as well as its method of use.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Blenders and similar countertop kitchen appliances generally include a base upon which is situated a jar into which food or other contents can be placed. Typically, blender jars are constructed with a generally circular or oval-shaped cross section. Blades or a similar implement can be activated to operate on the contents of the jar. The jar is generally removable from the base for ease of use and cleaning. The base contains a motor and controls for operating the appliance, whereby the motor drives the blades in response to activation of one of the controls. One example of a circular blender jar can be seen in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0013478. Generally, blenders provide the user with a selection of processing methods on a keypad, such as Stir, Chop, Mix, Puree, and Liquify. These methods reflect built-in speeds or control algorithms that enable the user to process a wide range of recipes, such as in the Puree of Soups to the Liquification of Icy Drinks and Fruit Smoothies. Surprisingly enough, even though blenders have been around for more than 70 years, improvements can still be made to enhance blender performance. For instance, a typical drawback of blender models on the market today is that good processing performance in one area often comes at the expense of good processing performance in other areas. As one example, one can find narrow, funnel shaped blender containers that are generally capable of pureeing recipes such as soups to a smooth consistency. However, these narrow, funnel shaped containers are often not as capable in the chopping and processing of large food items such as ice or icy drinks, as these large food items are not able to make their way through the narrow container necks and into the path of the blades.